Chapter 1203: Don’t You Want Me Anymore?
“Look, look, the eighty-second lightning strike has appeared!” the members of the Dao-Seeking Sect exclaimed.
“Hurry, add a note at the back of the Comprehensive Tribulation Compendium: eighty-one strikes is not the limit; there are more strikes after that!”
This essentially upended all prior knowledge of tribulations. It was a major test for every cultivator about to undergo their tribulation. In the past, they had only worried about surviving eighty-one strikes. Now, they had to worry about whether more strikes would follow.
Exclamations rose and fell among the crowd.
“I didn’t expect that not only is Senior Brother Lu’s tribulation of an unprecedented type, but even the number of strikes is different!”
“Joining the Dao-Seeking Sect was indeed the right choice!”
Even the higher-ups of the Everlasting Creed remarked, “Making history with every tribulation—truly a child favored by heaven!”
Yun Mengmeng felt delighted upon hearing the reactions around her.
Gan Tian sensed the world-shocking tribulation on Heaven’s Gate Peak and was reminded of her own tribulation when advancing to the Fusion Stage. She couldn’t help but lament, “I can’t compare to Little Junior Brother.”
She simply sighed a few times. She wasn’t discouraged or dejected at all. This is the Little Junior Brother chosen and groomed by Big Senior Sister; his talent is naturally extraordinary. There’s no point in comparison.
“Big Senior Sister, is he the one you’ve been looking for?” Gan Tian murmured inwardly. She suddenly recalled a casual conversation with Yun Zhi long ago.
“I need someone to help me preserve my human nature. Unfortunately, that person hasn’t appeared yet.”
Those were Yun Zhi’s exact words, spoken only to Gan Tian.
The tribulation was still ongoing. Although his skin and flesh were lacerated, Lu Yang didn’t make a sound.
“One hundred sixty, one hundred sixty-one, one hundred sixty-two... Heavens, it’s finally over.”
Lu Yang remained silent, but the Dao-Seeking Sect members counted for him, their hearts racing with every number.
“Junior Brother Lu is truly heaven-defying. The number has doubled!”
The crowd burst into an uproar. Witnessing the sheer number of strikes, the Void Refinement disciples felt a faint ache through their bodies, already imagining what their own tribulations would be like.
Would we also have to face one hundred sixty-two strikes?
“Whew, I’ve finally made it through.” Lu Yang let out a long breath. Although he was in a sorry state, with his robe reduced to cleaning rags wrapped around him, that wasn’t his concern right now.
After the tribulation, sweet dew descended silently from the heavens, nourishing Lu Yang’s ravaged body.
His wounds healed at a visible rate. He felt reborn, as if he had shed his body and exchanged his bones. His skin was smooth and flawless, without a single wound or scar remaining.
“Fusion Stage,” Lu Yang softly muttered.
“Second-in-Command, you’ve succeeded!”
After the tribulation, Yun Mengmeng was the first to rush over and congratulate Lu Yang, her smile even brighter than his.
“Junior Nephew Lu, well done.”
“Senior Brother, you’re so amazing.”
“Sword Master Xuanyuan, have you remembered your past life?
“Still haven’t recalled anything? I hope you do soon.”
From elders to junior disciples, everyone came to Heaven’s Gate Peak to offer their blessings.
Lu Yang graciously accepted them all, except Gu Junye’s.
With how well-liked Lu Yang was in the Dao-Seeking Sect, he spent the entire day, from morning until night, receiving well-wishes.
“Looks like you can manage your tribulations just fine even without this immortal, Xiao Yangzi.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy grinned. Her expression practically shouted, “I deserve the credit, so praise me!” which left Lu Yang rather baffled.
“Immortal Fairy, if you’d been there, the tribulation would have gone even better.” As a subject, there’s no need to vex over what Her Exalted Majesty is thinking. Better to play along first.
Sure enough, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s smile widened.
The last person to offer their congratulations was Yun Zhi.
“Well done.” Yun Zhi was sparing with her words. These two words were enough to convey her attitude.
“Big Senior Sister, I’ll go and consolidate my realm first.” The most pressing matter after a breakthrough was stabilizing one’s cultivation realm.
“Go on.”
Lu Yang returned to his cave abode. This wasn’t his first time consolidating his cultivation realm. He was familiar with the process—burning incense, sitting in the lotus position, calming the mind, and entering a meditative state.
But this time, he couldn’t enter a meditative state no matter what. Gu Junye’s words kept flashing through his mind.
“Sword Master Xuanyuan, have you remembered your past life?”
“Still haven’t recalled anything? I hope you do soon.”
Why do those words keep surfacing? Have I forgotten memories from my past life? No, I remember my past life clearly. Is it because Gu Junye has repeated it so often that I’ve started to believe it? That’s not it either.
Am I so excited about reaching the Fusion Stage that I’m unable to settle down? No, my mental state isn’t so terrible. What exactly is it? Have I forgotten something?
~~~
“Wait, my tribulation isn’t over yet!”
Realization dawned upon Lu Yang. His eyes gleamed as he finally understood where the unsettling feeling had come from.
“The tribulation for breaking through the Void Refinement Stage consists of two phases—the first is a lightning tribulation, and the second is a heart tribulation.”
I’ve only passed the first phase. I’m now in the second phase without even realizing it!
“This is common knowledge in the cultivation world, something I’ve known all along. Why did I only remember it now? Right, while caught in the heart tribulation, some memories are veiled. Only by realizing it’s a heart tribulation will the memories resurface!
“I’m in the middle of a heart tribulation now!”
“Xiao Yangzi, what’s wrong?” In the mental space, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy lay on Lu Yang’s chest, gazing up at him with pitiful eyes.
“Don’t you want me anymore?” Her large, limpid eyes reflected Lu Yang’s resolved yet reluctant expression.
Lu Yang was extremely reluctant, but he also knew that if he didn’t part with her now, he would sink deeper into the illusion, unable to break free.
Now that he knew that he was in an illusion, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy in front of him had to be fake. Since she was fake, he could do whatever he wanted to her with no consequences.
But he couldn't. Doing so would make him even more reluctant to leave the illusion.
I can’t hesitate any longer.
“Immortal Fairy... let’s meet in the real world.”
“Don’t go!”
Lu Yang closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look or think about the Everlasting Immortal Fairy. He bit his tongue and activated the Clear Heart True Nature Mantra. The best strength of his cultivation technique was its ability to see through illusions.
A speck of light flickered on Lu Yang’s chest. As the Clear Heart True Nature Mantra circulated, the light expanded rapidly, illuminating the entire cave abode, then engulfing the whole world.
Crack.
The illusion shattered; the heart tribulation was over.
Lu Yang was still in his battered state, but the storm had passed, and sweet dew had descended, nourishing his body.
Sensing his body gradually return to its original state, Lu Yang smiled with relief. “Now this is the real world.”
Just like in the illusion, the sweet dew restored his body to that of a newborn, making his skin smooth and flawless. However, his cultivation realm was vastly different from the one in the illusion.
“I’m... at the Transcendent Tribulation Stage?”